


Look, I just wanted a coffee, I didn’t ask for your number with it

by Alpha_bet_stories



Series: East wood high [3]
Category: East wood high, eastwood high
Genre: F/M, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-03-24 18:36:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13817076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alpha_bet_stories/pseuds/Alpha_bet_stories
Summary: IM ALL FOR THIS COFFEE SHOP AU. Cause Sage, you started this with your shorts, and then your canon “Charlie works in a coffee shop”. So I had to create an Au where they don’t know each other but boy there’s a coffee shop. And someone’s a barista.





	1. I got a latte hate(????)

_Why do I even need to take finals anyways? I don’t need them. I take photos._

Viv rubbed the center of her aching hand as she walked towards her favorite farmiliar site. She sought the comfort of the coffee shop, the smell of coffee and the comfort of being near people without having to talk to them. Devon had introduced it to her, and she had come by nearly daily ever since. 

She pulled the door open, hearing the farmiliar jingle of a bell, alerting the employees that another tired college student was in need of caffeine. Viv opened her backpack and grabbed her wallet, pulling it out as she looked at the menu. She already knew what she was going to order, but there was something soothing about looking over the farmiliar menu. Viv stepped closer to the cash registers, before finally looking down at the person manning them. And holy shit-

he was new

and he was hot??

”umm...you aren’t Sophie”

_idiot. Obviously he isn’t._

Viv had gotten used to the Atomic blonde, even calling her a friend. They had chatted while Viv waited for her coffee. Viv liked her. She was nice. 

“Noooo.....I’m Charlie. Sohpie’s out for the week”

”oh...okay. Um...can I get a black and white mocha with extra whipped cream” 

Charlie got a look in his eye, like he judged realized who she was, but they had never met before.

”One black and white mocha coming up, extra whipped cream”

Charlie gave a smile that made Viv’s stomach drop. She could not fall for the barista. Viv’s life was not some shitty fanfiction. She decided to try her best to stop thinking about him. After all, Viv had one type: the type that was bad for her. 

But he called out her name, and Viv nearly swooned. It was just her name but it sounded so much better when Charlie said it. And their hands almost touched as she reached for her coffee cup. And Viv had to remind herself that, once again, this was not some shitty romcom fanfic. This was real life. This was East Wood. Nice guys don’t fall for her. 

And with that, Viv left the coffee shop, slightly shaky, mostly mad at her self for not being able to put the dorky boy out of her mind.


	2. Dude, calm down. Its just paint.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And I've already hit the point where i don't know wtf i'm doing.

The next day, at 2am, Viv stumbled into the coffee shop. She was covered in various colors of paint, bleary eyed and exhausted. And clearly in need of Coffee.

Comic Coffee was open until 4am. It closed until 1pm, giving insomniacs like Viv the perfect chance to grab a cuppa. At 2am. Covered in paint.

 

Viv took a moment to comprehend how much of a mess she probably looked right now. Her hair was tucked into her beanie to keep it out of her way. She had on a random tee shirt that was a little too big for her and her favorite pair of shorts. She forgot her gloves in her apartment, but did have her knee-high ghost socks on. Her arms were covered in paint, and there was probably some on her face too. But She shrugged. She didn't care, it was 2 am and the only person who could judge her was the barista, who could get over it.

She didn't care. Until she realized who the barista was.

The door did its familiar jingle as she entered, and Viv felt herself relax at the sound.

"Let me guess, black and white mocha with extra whipped cream?"

Viv looked up, startled by a familiar voice.

"Holy shit, are you bleeding?"

Viv looked up at Charlie, confused.

"Bleeding?"

"You look like you're covered in blood. Are you okay? I should call 911"

Viv took her thumb, wet it, and smudged the paint, showing the lack of any abrasion on her arm. Charlie visibly relaxed.

"But that mocha does sound amazing right now."

Charlie still looked a little shaken. Viv moved closer to the counter.

"I'm okay. I paint. It's paint, that's all"

"You paint?"

Viv got a little self-conscious.

"Um....yeah. A few pieces have been displayed in the local museum here."

She sat down at the nearest table.

"Holy shit, that's amazing!"

She heard him making her mocha. She was glad his back was turned. She prayed her cheeks would stop being so damn pink.

Charlie walked around the corner of the counter, handing her her coffee as he took the seat opposite to hers.

"I guess I'll have to check out the museum now. And here I thought you were the local artwork."

He winked. She rolled her eyes, but her heart said otherwise.

"Nope I just paint it"

Charlie pulled out a cigarette, glancing up at her.

"Do you mind?"

Viv shook her head.

"When its day, I have to go outside. But since I'm the closer, I get free reign as long as too many customers don't see me."

Viv watched as Charlie placed the bright orange tip in his mouth. He breathed in, then breathed out, smoke coming out. It curled around his mouth and eyes, Viv watched it hypnotically. It took a minute before she realized there was no distinct smell of smoke.

"It's an e-cigarette. I don't smoke the real ones. I'm not ready to die so young. But what people don't know can't hurt them"

"So you make yourself look like a tough guy?"

"Sure. But some people call it pretty. They say the smoke is hypnotic....what do you think?"

Viv felt panic rise up. This was all too much for her. He did look pretty, the smoke curling around his mouth, reaching to the lights and making the coffee shop look enchanting in the dim glow. She took up quickly, grabbing her coffee cup.

"I think its time for me to get some sleep before my classes start."

Charlie glanced up at her, his smooth facade leaving, leaving him to be awkward and dorky once more.

"Umm....thanks Charlie"

"Yeah. No problem. Lemme get the door for you"

He pulled the door open, and she walked out. She gave him a small wave goodbye, before glancing up. The streetlights were always her favorite at night. They lined the road and led her back to her apartment, back home. As she was looking up, Viv heard a small thunk as something hit the ground. Next to her feet stood the coffee sleeve. It must have dropped. Viv picked it up, and was about to put it back on her coffee cup when she saw the scrawl written on her coffee cup.

"705-491-5666. ♡"

Viv grinned.


	3. Viv has a talk. Devon has to listen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look, it’s been way too long since I introduced my Babe Devon. The perfect time to introduce best boy is obviously when Viv is having a crisis.

“DEVON! Devon, I’m in love!! And I need to get out!!”

Viv burst into the apartment, 3am with the lights off. She ran towards the couch, sitting on the armrest before letting gravity pull her down, her back on the cushions of the old couch. Devon, in his bedroom, woke up to the loud noise, his eyes bleary with sleep. His heart ran rampant, the shock his Vivian’s loud yelling waking him up with a start. He slid to the side of the bed, tossing his feet over the the side before standing up, unsteady at first. He padded out to the central room, not quite comprehending the loud tone of Viv’s words. He walked in front of her, before panic settled into his bones.

”Viv??”

She opened her eyes, grinning wildly. Both were caught up in two different worlds, Viv’s a chaotic city, Devon’s a quiet cloud, growing stormy by the second. 

“Viv!”

His panic set into his voice, as he called her name. 

“Viv”, Devon tried to keep his panic in check, “are you drunk right now?”

Viv shot up, the words of her best friend destroying her world, colliding it with his. She sat back up on the arm rest, her head relaxing until it settled on his chest. She took a deep breath. And then another. And then another. Praying that she could keep the panic at bay. 

“It’s caffeine Devon. I’m not...”

She felt his arms wrap around her. She breathed deep, inhaling his farmiliar comfort. 

“I’m okay Devon. I’m okay. It’s okay. We’re okay.”

Viv felt his heart slow, his deep breaths. His chest against her ear.  He moved to pick her up, setting her down onto the couch. He grabbed the coffee cup from her grasp.

”I think you’ve had enough. I’ll make some tea”

Viv nodded, hearing his heavy footsteps reced into the kitchenette. She listened as two mugs clinked together, being pulled from the cabinet. She heard the water fill them, the microwave door open and shut again, the farmiliar hum of it as it worked. She heard him pull the box of tea bags from the cabinet above, pulling out two tea bags and replace the box. He ripped them open as the microwave beeped, indicating the warm water was done. He put the tea bags into the water, careful not to spill as he walked the two mugs back over to the couch, offering one of Viv. She gratefully accepted. 

“So what was it about a barista and love?”

Viv covered her face as she laughed, knowing that trying to hide her embarrassment from Devon was an impossible task. She still tried anyway.

”There’s a new barista at Cosmic. And god Devon. He’s pretty.”

”You always fall for the pretty ones don’t you?” 

“You know me Devon. I can’t help it. They’re too damn pretty.”

”what’s he like Viv?”

”he’s kind. He’s funny. He’s a huge dork but he always tries to cover it up. It’s funny when he tries. No amount of e-cigs could stop him from looking like such a huge dork.”

She laughed lightly and Devon laughed with her. 

“But you know me. I don’t....trust myself.”

”I know Viv. I know.”

”And they always want an answer. They never give me time. I need time.”

”Maybe he’ll give you it? Maybe he’ll wait for you to catch up.”

”I hope...”

The two sat in silence, cold bodies wrapped around warm cups, begging the heat in their hands a comfort to their hearts. 


	4. That I’ll...be humble.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 34 days catch me crying.

When you have a crush, you usually want spend time with them. 

Viv didn’t have a crush. 

She had a catastrophe.

see, when Viv was being created, they put in a dash of this, a pinch of that. 

A scoop of anger,

a dash of rebellion,

a pinch of soft laughter.

a whole fucking bucket of radioactive personality waste. The type that allowed her to be alive, be created, but be a total walking mess.

Crushes? Viv could handle. 

Actually understanding those same feelings, acting on them in a mature and calm manner, listening to her head as well as her heart? 

Hell. No.

So Viv did the only thing she knew to do after her 2 am breakdown in Devon’s place. 

Sure, it was stupid, but no body ever said she was smart. 

She avoided Charlie. 

She fucking avoided Charlie like the plague.

Her favorite coffee shop? Not any more.

Her favorite new friend? Whaaaat? What friend.

Her favorite coffee place at 1 am, when she was covered in paint and exhausted but pleased.

Gone.

and it was all her choice, Viv knew that. That didn’t stop her though. 

So for a long, drawn out week of drinking terrible coffee from places much more expensive and worse than Cosmic Coffee, Viv finally found herself at the end of the week. 

Saturday morning, her back to an old weeping willow tree, her sketchbook in her lap, the only sound was the sound of her pencil scratching against her rough paper. 

This was her favorite place to go, her sanctuary. The only person who knew about it was Devon. 

In front of her stood a long abandoned building, covered in moss and decaying stone. It may have been one of importance many years ago, but no longer. The marble inside was chipped and gray, the wooden floorboards creaked, threatening to give out. Viv finished her sketch, and shoving her book into her satchel, she headed towards the building. 

Then she stopped, hearing footsteps. 

Viv, giving way to instinct, took off running. 

Her beath came out in short bursts as she ran, adrenaline pumping through her veins, her lungs burning. She worn a sudden wild smile on her face, every bone  in her body begging for a chase. No one knew this building like Viv did. And Viv was right. 

A chase had begun.

Footsteps, not her own, pounded against the harsh ground behind her. Maybe her name was called? Viv really couldn’t tell. Viv climbed the chain link fence, feet swinging over the top, her heels shooting pain up her legs when she landed on the harsh soil below her. Viv took a moment to shake off the disorientation before running once more. She dived into the corner of the building, ignoring all doors in favor of the decayed corner of the marble. She slided across the grainy floor, before coming to a halt. Viv stopped for a second, breathing harshly, listening for her  guest. There was no indication of them near her. 

But the main door swung open, blinding Viv with sunlight. The door itself begged and creaked and complained, but her guest was strong, probably running on adrenaline too. 

“Vivian Webb! For christ’s Sake! Stop. Running!”

A light Scotish accent. 

A clearly female voice, tired from the excersize.

It was almost impressive that she managed to reach Viv this quickly.

Viv never pegged her as an adventurer. 

Then again,

She has only ever seen Sophie serve coffee, not chase a near-felon into an abaonded building. 

A few feet away, still on the ground, Viv grinned. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You didn’t think I forgot about Sophie, did you Sage?


	5. The best of babes (sorry Dev)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YEET

“Well I’ll be damned. Its fucking Sophie Hawthorne, crowned barista of Cosmic coffee”  _and best friend of my catastrophe. Oh wait. That’s me!_

Viv practically beams, choking backs laugh as her lungs burned. Carefully, she stood herself up, brushing dust and soil from her farmiliar ripped jeans. She fixed the sleeves of her jumper, pushing the sleeves back up to her elbow. 

“How charming, we meet again”

”Cut the shit Viv, you ran from me. Why?”

”To be fair, I didn’t know it was you”

”Then you ran..why exactly?”

Viv stepped closer to Sophie, observing her surroundings as her eyes adjusted to the burst of sunlight.

“It’s fun, you should try it sometime”

Viv could practically hear Sophie’s next words: _“You’re sick Viv. See ya never”_

But that’s not the words that Sophie said.

But boy they were just as fun.

“We need to talk Viv. You are driving my boy insane with your boycott”

Viv feigned ignorance as she stepped towards Sophie once more, approaching the barrier between ‘comfortable distance’ and ‘too damn close’.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about, Soph”

The words curled off Viv’s tongue. Another game began, this one was one of Viv’s absolute favorites. 

“Don’t play dumb with me Viv. You aren’t good at it”

Viv felt herself grin. Or was it smirk? Either way, it was catlike and feral.

“I thought I was good at everything Soph, love.”

Viv stepped again, her fingertips ghosting against Sophie’s jawline, Sophie leaning to avoid it. Vic licked her lips before smiling.

“Look, Charlie’s concerned and sad and not functioning well so if you could just talk to him”

The name sent a pang through Viv’s heart. Charlie, tough on the outside but so soft, hurting. Waiting for her to come through the door. He probably waited up all night the first night. And the next. And maybe even the next, before settling into his disappointed naps, hope still rising in his chest every time the bell rung in the door, despair befalling him every time it wasn’t her. 

“...who?”

Sophie looked so hopeful, before settling into anger.

“Oh you absolute ass! And it was going so well! Thank god you fucking ran away. He doesn’t need an ass like you. You could never deserve him!”

_Could never_

_Deserve him?_

_Could never_

_deserve him._

_Could_ _never._

_Deserve him._

_Deserve_

_him._

_Did she?_

_No._  

 

Viv felt the words echo in her head, repeating them until they sounded foreign and wrong, until she felt sick. 

She felt

sick. 

Her knees gave out as she collapsed onto the floor, her knees screaming, the floor hard and unforgiving. 

_“Viv? Hey, are you okay?”_

She begged to hear. 

But no sound came, no worried voice. 

Viv finally noticed. 

Sophie was gone. 

Viv tried to remember when she left, but she couldn’t. Very easily, however, she could guess. Angry footsteps storming off, slamming the door shut, sudden darkness, total silence as Viv fell apart.

what was wrong with her?

god.

something was wrong with her.

Viv didn’t want to move. She wanted to stay in this darkness forever. She felt kinship with this building, adandoned and broken. Beyond repair and left to decay. It’s what she deserved. God, she was terrible. She actually enjoyed toying with Sophie. God she was sick. 

Time passed. Viv couldn’t tell whether it passed slowly or whether she blinked and daylight was gone. But it was. What little light had been inside after Sophie had slammed the main door had faded, leaving Viv in complete darkness. She could have sworn she heard floorboards creak, forgein sounds echoing in the dark. 

Something wet hit her hand. 

Oh. 

Huh.

she was crying. 

And all the sudden, Viv couldn’t breathe. Her sobs choked her, tears falling rapidly down her face. Why was she even crying? She choked for breath again, begging for oxygen in her airways. Her heart pounded. She moved her hands from her legs, revealing dark crescent moon marks dug into her thighs. She sucked in another partial breath. This was probably what she deserved anyway. Her chest hurt but she didn’t stop. The tears came and came, running down her face and onto the floor she was crumpled on. She cried until she had nothing left. Until she couldn’t cry any longer. 

She was left with an unbearable headache.

and a burning in her chest. 

Was that where her heart was supposed to be?

she stared at the floor, eyes wide open and burning. 

She stared until she felt warm arms around her. She breathed in comfort. 

“Hey, hey it’s going to be okay”

she shook her head. It was not going to ever be okay. Had it ever really been okay?

”I know it isn’t right now. Sophie isn’t mad. She was at first, but she’s really concerned. She regrets what she said. She came and got me”

Viv leaned into him, letting his warmth warm her. She didn’t realize how could she was. 

“I’ve got the car running Viv. I know, I know, you like walking here. But I just don’t think now’s the perfect time for a stroll”

Viv choked out a laugh. 

“ and don’t worry about Charlie. I told him a few days ago that you need your space. That’s all. If Romeo can’t fucking wait, then clearly he isn’t right for you”

Viv let Devon pick her up. She didn’t trust her legs stand, her vision fuzzy and swimming, her head dizzy. He gently placed her in the passenger’s seat, a blanket from the back wrapped around her shoulders, a playlist of calming songs playing as Devon drove. 

“Do I wanna know” playing in the background as her best friend, her brother, her savior, drove her back home


	6. Heck heck heck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YEET YEET BITCHES

“Hey, hey, lay back down for a sec, it’s okay”

Devon’s voice filtered through buzzing ears. Her eyes refused to open, the first peak of bright light burning them. She closed them immediately. She leaned back down, finding her head resting on a warm pillow, sheets and blankets piled on top of her.

“Dev? What time is it?”

Her head was so fuzzy...What happened? A sleepover at Devon’s was no atypical occasion, but sleeping in his bed? She usually favored the couch…

“3:29”

“...afternoon”

“Yeah..”

“How long have I been asleep?”

“We came in at about 3….you crashed after that and I brought you over to the bed...so since 3 in the morning?”

The events came rushing back. The abandoned marble building. Sophie. The scream. Her panic attack. Devon coming to her rescue.

“Shit. Fuckkkk. Don’t I have school or something?”

“It’s Monday Viv...so you probably missed biology”

Viv moaned. Biology? She liked biology. Why couldn’t she have missed calculus? She hated calculus.

“Well I’ll see professor Stein as soon as I can”

“That sounds good. I’ll bring you some soup. You should eat something”

“Thank you Devon”

Devon just smiled, it almost looked sad. Viv tried not to be angry at his look. His pity did her no good, but she guessed that she understood it. Having a panic attack in an abandoned building would make her pity someone too. She changed clothes slowly, her muscles protesting after yesterday’s exercise. She changed into a another pair of jeans and a tee shirt, the backups she keeps at Devon’s apartment. But the time she had just finished pulling the edges of the shirt down, Devon knocked on the door. As Viv opened it, she found Devon carrying a steaming bowl of tomato soup. She followed him to the table, eating slowly. She wasn’t really hungry, but she needed to eat something. Devon looked like he wanted to say something, but he never did. Viv finished with her soup soon after, placing the empty bowl in the dishwasher.

“To prof. Stein it is. I’ll see you later Dev”

“Okay Viv. Stay safe”

“I will dork. I promise I’ll call you if anything happens”

She closed the door after herself. Viv felt tons better after the soup and some rest, almost a completely different person from yesterday. As she walked the quiet halls of the apartment, she passed a business-looking man. His face was neither kind nor stern, but serious, as if he was on a dangerous mission. Viv passed him, muttering a “hi” and a small smile. He did the same. Viv shivered as she past time, glancing down at the files he held in his hand. “Case 1004, missing person” the top file read. Over those words was a stamp Viv couldn’t quite read as she passed. “A missing person’s case huh? Campus doesn’t get a whole lot of excitement. Hope they find the person soon..” Viv thought. She shook her head, shaking away the mystery and instead trying to focus on biology. She was sure Prof. Stein would be kind. She was nearly the top student in his class. Viv took a deep breath as she approached the silence building, climbing the stairs up slowly. She found his classroom nearly empty, only the professor grading papers at his desk. Viv gently knocked on the door.  
“Professor Stein?”

“Ah, Vivian. You missed class today dear”

Professor Stein was an older gentleman, in his late 60’s. He had a kind face and a fierce passion for protecting the environment and promoting it’s wellbeing. He constantly called his students ‘dear’ or other endearing names. Viv absolutely loved his class and would often find herself talking with him after class, constantly trying to find ways to improve her impact on the world around her. She smiled.

“I’m sorry professor, I did. I got back late last night and I completely slept through my alarms. How was class today?”

“Absolutely dreadful dear. Clarissa and Abel refused to cooperate and Jeremy wouldn’t talk without your bravery accompanying him.”

“I am so sorry I missed it! Poor Jeremy.”

Viv’s phone buzzes, she left it in her pocket, ignored.

“Of course you weren’t the only student to skip. It seems that Brittney Dean was absent too”

“Brittney Dean? Well that’s no surprise. She skips class all the time”

Her phone buzzes again, once, and then twice. Viv, annoyed, left it in her pocket.

“Yes, I suppose that is true Mrs. Webb.”

Viv’s phone buzzes once again, Pulled it out of her pocket, quickly glancing at it before turning it off. A few missed calls and texts from Devon? It was probably just the new Supergirl episode. Viv wasn’t worried. She turned back to Professor Stein, apologizing quickly. The conversation turned to more academic proceedings. Vic snagged the lesson that she missed, along with notes for it. It was easy stuff, Viv really wasn’t worried. She left the classroom smiling. The was easy and painless. She pulled out her phone as she headed back to Devon’s apartment. Viv redialed Devon’s number.

“Dude, I was talking to my professor, what is it?”

“Viv! Things are serious”

Devon’s tone startled her. She felt a pit in her stomach. Serious things? He didn’t sound happy. It sounded...urgent. Fearful. Viv unconsciously pulled her bag closer to her, letting her feet guide her back to the apartment while she focused on this conversation.

“Okay Devon. What’s going on?”

Viv bumped into someone, her shoulder turning uncomfortably. She looked up at whoever she bumped into just as Devon spoke. Both people began to speak.

“Viv it’s Brittney.”  
“Vivian Webb?”

Viv ended the call. Devon could wait. Before her stood the same man from earlier. Now that he was standing still, she could read the red stamp over the words “missing files”. In bold bright red letter, it read “Murder”

“Vivian Webb?”

The man repeated himself. Viv Will herself out of her daze.

“Uh..yeah. Yeah that’s me”

“I’m afraid I have some bad new, I’ll need to take you in for questioning”

“Questioning?”

“Ma’am, are you aware of a student who went here, one Brittney Dean?”

“...yes?”

“I’m afraid her body was found at 1 am this morning. An anonymous tip has told us that you were near the murder site at that time.”

“The murder site?”

“The abandoned governor's former home.”

 

 


	7. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s chapter names are so boring but oh well who actually cares. Not me

It was like an out of body experience. One moment Vivian Webb was on her way home from biology. She was thinking about homework and what tv show to watch next. The next moment was murder. Literally. The strange man with the briefcase stopped her. Murder? Brittney was dead?  
Sure, she and Brittney didn’t get along. Brittney was crazy. She was constantly hitting on and flirting with Devon, who was clearly not interested. Devon, the asexual aromantic, was chosen by the local crazy. Brittney threatened anyone who got close to him. If Viv didn’t know Devon before, she would have run. But Devon had been her best friend for over a year when Brittney showed up. Devon, having Viv as a best friend, was grateful that she stuck around. Brittney decided she was completion. Viv has gotten black eyes and rumors due to this. She didn’t mind exactly, Devon was worth it. But eventually, black eyes got boring and the rumors just repeated. Viv caved, turned punk, got dangerous. It was because of Brittney that Viv fell apart and put herself back together. The soft brown curls got cut, dyed black, choppy and rough. Black lipstick was bought. Gray tee shirts, black skirts, combat boots, whatever was needed. In true punk fashion, ghost socks were made, complete diy style. The only thing left over from her past life was her scarf. Music notes softly knitted into a gentle scarf. Instead of her neck, it now wrapped around her waist, right above her skirt. By the time sophomore year of college rolled around, Viv had done a complete 360. She was proud of herself. But that wasn’t all. It wasn’t an easy path to the present day. Viv wasn’t a perfect kid who stuck around Devon despite his girl problems. Hell now, Viv was a total mess before she met Devon. Try the scary word “alcoholic”. It was Devon who got her through the detox period, who taught her the cool way to say no thanks and the best ways to cope with all her issues. Thanks to him, she could go to parties without being a drunken mess. She owed her life to him.   
But now, three years sober, two years cursed with Britney, and one year of college left to go, it’s met with the possibility of all crumbling down.  
The world swirled around Viv. Murder. Did they think she did it? An anonymous tip? Was it Sophie? Viv could picture it now. The atomic blonde, the hero, calling the police first. She could hear her voice now, saying that Viv was in a building shut down for the public. Snitching on Viv, trying to get her arrested for what? Breaking her best friend’s heart? Don’t be so melodramatic. She barely know Charlie. She couldn’t be blamed if he called obsession “love”.

“Ms. Webb? Are you still with me?”

Viv was yanked out of her stream of consciousness. The briefcase man was still in front of her, still holding the file, still asking her if he could question her. Viv lightly shook her head, pulling the plug in her reverie.

“What kind of questions?”

“Just the standard questions Ms. Webb”

“Am I a suspect?”

“We just want to find out what happened”

“Is she dead?”

“A body was found”

“I didn’t kill her”

“I’m sure you didn’t Ms. Webb, I just need to ask some standard questions”

“Can you ask them here? Police make me anxious”

“And why is that Ms. Webb?”

“I don’t trust them. So can we do it here?”

“If that makes you say yes Ms. Webb, then yes we can”

“Good, Thank you”

Viv led the police man to a bench nearby. The green was generally empty, very few people walking past them. Devon would probably be wondering where she was by now. She couldn’t think about that, right now she needed to worry about herself. If the murder scene was her favorite abandoned building, she was screwed. Obviously, she couldn’t lie, but she could skip the time period where she was alone. Both Sophie and Devon would be her alibi. That would work. It had to. She didn’t kill anyone. She couldn’t just go to jail. Not after she’s worked so hard to make herself better.

“Where were you between 3 pm and 1 am?”

“I draw, I’m an artist, a painter, a photographer. I was at that abandoned building near Vairfent street”

“Was there anyone with you?”

“Yeah, Sophie Hawthorne at first, and then Devon Williams after she left”

“Would they attest to this?”

“Of course? What kind of question is that?”

“Just a standard one Ms. Webb”

They waited in silence as the man wrote down whatever he was writing.

“What was your relationship with Brittney Dean?”

“She was a creepy stalker. She was obsessed with Devon. She hated me. She gave me a fair share of black eyes and assorted punches. Half the rumors you hear about me around her are because of her.”

“Why didn’t you order a restraining order on her then? If she has physically assaulted you?”

“Look at me. I have no concrete proof. No one’s going to believe me at a police station.”

“You can still try”

“And stir up even more trouble? Not only have the title of ‘homewrecker’ but ‘snitch’ too?”

“Are you a so called ‘homewrecker’?”

“Hell no. But half of campus thinks I am. Thanks to Ms. Dean”

“Did you ever try to get even with Ms. Dean?”

“Hell no. Her dad’s a teacher her. Jason Dean. He might as well influence half the teachers. Get on his bad side, and your screwed for the rest of college. You might as well drop out. So no, I was smart enough to know that messing with Brittney would only screw me over even more”

“So you took all of that? Being assaulted, having rumors told, and did nothing?”

“I tried to stay out of her way. That’s all I could do.”

“Sounds like she made a lot of enemies”

“Yeah, I’m sure half of campus hates her. I’m sure I wasn’t her only victim.”

“But you were the worst?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe? Good luck trying to find out the truth here. We don’t trust authority, you can see why. It’s corrupted”

“I see. Well thank you Ms. Webb. You’ve been very informative”

“Thanks for not arresting me or whatever”

The guy just nodded. He stood up, brushing his coat off, despite the fact that nothing was on it. His hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a card.

“If you ever need to contact me, here’s my card”

As he walked away, Viv glanced over the card.

“James Carson, NYPD, Detective.”  
Below that was a local phone number and plain email address.

“I will, Detective Carson”

Viv put the card in one pocket, and pulled her phone out of another. She checked the messages Devon left. Half a dozen missed calls in the span of time that she was talking to Detective Carson. She called Devon.

“Hey, so Brittney Dean”

“She dead Vivian! Someone’s probably going to ask questions. Be careful.”

“Detective Carson. He was looking for me, wasn’t he?”

“Uhhh yeah. How’d you know his name?”

“He asked me some questions. It wasn’t bad, he’s cool”

“Are you headed here?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you soon Dev.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Sophie 100% told Charlie about “the cute girl who always orders black and white mocha with extra whip. You Will fall in love with her Charlie. I know it”


End file.
